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The UK's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to former schoolmates who claim he racially abused them during their school days.

Hermer said that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their testimonies of his actions as a youth. He commented that the politician's "evolving" statements had been difficult to believe.

“Throughout his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a news outlet.

New Allegations Emerge

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a south London school.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a 13-year-old Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘The Nazi leader was correct’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was similarly targeted by a older Farage.

“He walked up to a pupil accompanied by two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the former student said. “That involved me on three separate times; inquiring where I was from, and pointing away, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or saw hurtful actions by Farage.

The incidents they described cover the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Denials and Shifting Positions

The Reform leader has disputed that anything he did was "explicitly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the former classmates were misremembering.

Commentators have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism outright in his denials.

They also point to his reluctance to reprimand a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she complained about the number of black and brown people she saw in adverts. She later apologised for the remarks.

“His evolving narrative about his behaviour to his schoolmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer said.

He continued: “Arguing that 20 people have all misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Demand for Accountability

“If he wishes to be seen as a legitimate candidate for the top job, he urgently needs confront the concerns of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Racism in all its forms is anathema to the principles of this country and we should not let it to ever become legitimised in politics.”

In a separate interview, a senior politician said Farage should “speak out” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It speaks volumes how very little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being written in a particular way to communicate, but also not to say something,” she remarked.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In formal correspondence before the release of the report, Farage’s lawyers claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his explanation in an interview, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could view as being playground talk, you could interpret in a modern light today in some way? Perhaps.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a new statement: “I can tell you definitely that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, decades in the past.”